Scraping and leveling machine



Feb. 26, 1952 c. E. MOODY 2,586,977

SCRAPING AND LEVELING MACH'INE MQM w@ Wife/wams Feb. 26, 1952 y C, E,MOODY 2,586,977

SCRAPING AND LEVELING MACH'INE Filed March l5, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2Patented Feb. 26, 1952 SCRAPVING AND LEVELING 'MACHINE Charles E. Moody,Visalia, Calif.; Arthlll' Moody administrator of said Charles E. Moody,de,-

ceased Application March 15, 1946, Serial N o. 654,712

(Cl. 37e- 180) 2 Claims. l

This invention relates to earth levelling de.- vices and moreparticularly to a scraping and grading machine for levelling and gradingland. A main object of the invention yis to provide `a novel andimproved earth levelling machine of very simple construction, which iseasy to operate and which is very dependable in performance.

A furtherobject of the invention is to provide an improved land gradingdevice vhaving tractable support means of substantial bearing areaadapted to maintain the scraping element of the .device in asubstantially horizontal position under a wide range of conditions ofterrain, said device "being further provided with means afford- -ing arelatively small turning radius for the device when it is desired toreverse the direction of Yoperation of the grading machine.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accom panyingdrawing, wherein:

`Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a lland grading machineconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan View of the grading machine of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional View taken on v' line 4 4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional detail view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring to .the drawing, designates the frame of the grading device,said frame being generally rectangular in plan and being of su Vstantiallength, and including spaced side members each comprising a lower member4|), an upper member Y4|, and an intermediate member 42. Frame issupported at its front end by a longitudinally serrated roller membervI2 extending substantially Yfor the full width of `frame and journalledin the rearwardly extending legs I3, I3 of a U-shaped roller-supportingmember I4 which has its bight pivotally secured to the front cross-barI5 of frame at its center by a vertical king pin I6 to permit relativerotation of member |4 with respect to frame in a horizontal plane abouta vertical axis, the cross bar I5 being connected at its ends to theintermediate members 42. Frame Il is supported at its rear end by alongitudinally serrated roller member I1 also extending substantiallyfor the full width of the frame and journalled in the rearwardlyextending legs I8, I8 of a Il I) 2 U-shaped roller-supporting member I9which 'has its bight pivotally secured to the rear crossvbar 20 vofframe v|| at its center by a vertical king pin 2| -to permit relativerotation of mem- Vber I9 with respect to frame II in a horizontal planeabout a vertical axis, the cross bar 20 being connected at its .ends tothe intermediate members 42. It is .to Ibe noted that the U-shapedsupport member I4 with its bight pivotally connected to the cross bar I5with its legs having the roller Lli journaled therein vand the U-shapedsupport member I9 with its vbight pivotally se .cured tothe cross bar 10lwith `its legs having the rol-ler di journaled y therein 'provide acastering action for the frame al Support member I4 is 'linked tosupport member lIl) by a pair of cables 22, 22., keach ,cable beingconnected to one of the arms L3 ,and extending across the forwardportion .of lopnositefside of frame H over .a pu1n1ey123 iol-1r 1 d on aSide bar of the frame and over u y ,24 journalled on lsaid :side :oartothe e ar support YIrlorrlloer i5 adjacenij, id side bar, Therefore,cables 22 cross each o.

gerend-'when ifront roller l2 is `lsu-irrigr :its ls-ins pin |16 .in onedirection with respect to rra-me M @rear roller I1 is turned in opposited thereby providing a Shortgoed turning S for the device- ,.'llfiefior-varo end of ,frame gli .is connected by cables 2.5J A25 -to fa1suitable lmobile draft vehicle as `a tractor. When the tractor turns,the drag .error-tod op the front roller l2 Causes Such roller :toautomatially in the proper direc- .tionpn its lgi-ng pin I5. Therearwardly located 11er L2 relative to the king pin 6 assists thlsautomatic turn-.ing 'but iS not er1- lr essential- .:Pivotglly connectedto the Side :bars vof fra-me l rizontallyfdisposod:pivots.located at the@mediate Yp..o;.rtio.r;1 .of frame H is a U-Shapod :scraper bladememher26., .the bigot .portion oomprisirie :a vertical transverse bladeportion and `being formed with a :rearwardly projecting threaded 1-augmexx-mor 2:1 at the .center Portion thereof adjacent its upper edge. Lug21 is threadedly engaged by a vertical adjusting shaft 28 which extendsthrough an upper cross-bar 29 secured to frame and is journalled in abearing member 30 pivotally supported in a pair of angle brackets 3|, 3|mounted on each side of shaft 28 on cross-bar 29.. Secured to the upperend of shaft 28 is a crank member 32 which bears on top surface ofbearing member 30, providing a thrust bearing for shaft 28. By manuallyrotating crank member 32 the elevation of the vertical transverse bladeportion of U-shaped scraper blade member 26 may be adjusted as desiredby the operator.

The device is employed to grade and smooth land to place it in asuitable level condition, as for example, for irrigation. The largefront and rear rollers provide a large bearing 'surface for the frame II and prevent the frame from tilting sideways in soft dirt or muddyground during the grading operations, thereby insuring accuratelyhorizontal scraping by blade member 26. During straight forward movementof the device the linkage cables 22, 22 maintain the rollers I2 and I'Iin parallel relationship. When the device is being turned, as when thedirection of operation is to be reversed, the linkage cables cause therollers to turn in opposite directions with respect to frame II, therebygreatly shortening the turning radius of the device and saving time andreducing fuel consumption by the tractor.

While a specific embodiment of a land levelling machine has beendisclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood thatvarious modiiications within the spirit of the `invention may occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitationsbe placed on the invention other than as dened by the scope -of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a scraping and levelling machine including a scraper blade, aframe having spaced side members each comprising a lower member, anupper member, and an intermediate member, a cross bar arrangedtransversely of vvsaid side members adjacent the forward and rearwardends thereof and connectedat its ends to said intermediate member, aU-shaped member positioned underneath said frame adjacent each of saidcross bars and having the bight pivotally connected to the adjacentcross bar for movement about a vertical axis with its legs extendingrearwardly of said axis and a roller journaled in the legs of each ofsaid U-shaped members whereby there is provided a castering actionlforsaid frame, guide means positioned adjacent to and carried by the lowermember of each of said side members intermediate its ends, a rstilexible cable having its intermediate portion in engagement with theguide means on one of said lower members and having one end connected toone of the legs of the U-shaped member pivotally connected to therearward cross bar and having the other end connected to the diagonallyopposite one leg of the U-shaped member pivotally connected to theforward cross bar, and a second exible cable having its intermediateportion in engagement with the guide means on the other of said lowermembers and having one end connected to the other of the legs of theU-shaped member pivotally connected to the rearward cross bar and havingthe other end connected to the diagonally opposite other leg of the U-shaped member pivotally connected to the forward cross bar, wherebymovement of the rearward U-shaped member in one direction causessimultaneous movement of the forward U- shaped member in the oppositedirection.

2. In a scraping and levelling machine including a scraper blade, aframe having spaced side members each comprising a lower member, anupper member, and an intermediate member, a cross bar arrangedtransversely of said side members adjacent the forward and rearward endsthereof and connected at its ends to said intermediate member, aU-shaped member positioned underneath said frame adjacent each of saidcross bars and having the bight pivotally connected to the adjacentcross bar for movement about a vertical axis with its legs extendingrearwardly of said axis and a roller journaled in the legs of each ofsaid U-shaped members whereby there is provided a castering action forsaid frame, guide means embodying spaced vertically disposed rotatablepulleys positioned adjacent to and carried by the lower member of eachof said side members intermediate its ends, a irst flexible cable havingits intermediate portion in engagement with the pulleys on one of saidlower members and having one end connected to one of the legs of theU-shaped member pivotally connected to the rearward cross bar and havingthe other end connected to the diagonally opposite one leg of the U-shaped member pivotally connected to the forward cross bar, and a secondflexible cable having its intermediate portion in engagement with thepulleys on the other of said lower members and having one end connectedto the other of the legs of the U-shaped member pivotally con'- nectedto the rearward cross bar vand having the other end connected to thediagonally opposite other leg of the U-shaped member pivotally connectedto the forward cross bar, whereby movement of the rearward U-shapedmember in one direction causes simultaneous movement of the forwardU-shaped member in the opposite direction.

CHARLES E'. vIVIOODY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are Fof record in the iile ofthis patent:

Germany Dec. 25, 1936

